Wireless networks and mobile wireless devices continue to evolve as new communication technologies develop and standardize. Current wireless network deployments support both circuit switched (CS) and packet switched (PS) connections as well as newer internet protocol multimedia service (IMS) connections. Mobile wireless devices can include user identity module (UIM) cards, typically removable and configurable, that can contain subscriber and network information, authentication data and service configurations available to a wireless network subscriber. Access to different wireless network services for a user of a mobile wireless device can be configured through a provisioning of the embedded UIM card in the mobile wireless device. Provisioning data can be transferred to the UIM card through a data connection from a server in the wireless network. Representative wireless networks can include those specified by one or more releases of wireless communication protocols specified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) communication standards organizations. The 3GPP develops mobile communication standards include releases for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE Advanced standards. The 3GPP2 develops wireless communication standards that include CDMA2000 1xRTT and 1xEV-DO standards.
Wireless networks that use different wireless communication protocols can use different methods to provision embedded UIM cards. CDMA2000 wireless networks can perform UIM card provisioning through a process known as over the air service provisioning (OTASP), which allows a user of a wireless network subscriber to become authorized for wireless services on the CDMA2000 wireless network. OTASP can be used for initial provisioning of a “new” mobile wireless device as well as for updating service configurations of the mobile wireless device. Similarly, GSM/GPRS and UMTS wireless networks can perform UIM card provisioning through a short message service point to point (SMS-PP) connection. In both instances, the OTASP and SMS-PP connections can use a circuit switched link between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network over which to transfer the provisioning data. These initial CS links between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network can be limited in data throughput, which can increase the time required to download the provisioning data to the UIM card for the mobile wireless device. LTE (and LTE-Advanced) wireless networks can use a newer provisioning mechanism known as a bearer independent protocol (BIP) that can use a packet switched (PS) data connection between the mobile wireless device and a server in the wireless network to transfer the provisioning data at a faster data rate than offered by a CS connection. The BIP provisioning method can also be applied to wireless networks that use other wireless cellular technologies when the wireless network can establish a packet switched data connection for the mobile wireless device to the server in the wireless network to provision the UIM card.
Initial provisioning of UIM cards in mobile wireless devices today can require a customer service call (e.g. using a *228xx service code) to the wireless network or can be performed automatically by firmware in the UIM card that initiates a connection to the wireless network for the provisioning. Presently, card provisioning cannot be controlled by a processor in the mobile wireless device based on the current wireless communication protocols; rather, the provisioning process is under the control of the UIM card firmware. As UIM card firmware can vary across different service providers, the processor software cannot control or anticipate when and how the provisioning process for the UIM card will start. Additionally, current UIM card file structures do not include information about provisioning of the UIM card at a top level that can be easily read by a processor in the mobile wireless device. While provisioning information may be available within an application specific file in the UIM card, there is no standardization of the card provisioning information available for a processor in the mobile wireless device request and read from the UIM card to determine the state of provisioning. With limited control of the provisioning process and status, the processor can be unable to supply information to the user of the mobile wireless device about the provisioning state and/or provisioning process. Thus, there exists a need for a method whereby provisioning of the UIM card in the mobile wireless device can be initiated by a processor in the mobile wireless device and/or by a user thereof and a method whereby UIM card provisioning status can be easily determined by the processor in the mobile wireless device.